Inspired by Macau’s famous pork chop buns, this one is the bun of your dreams. Juicy pan fried pork chops with caramelized onions, served in a bakery classic – the pineapple bun (slightly sweet with a crispy crust).
The first thought that I had when I saw this finished product, I was like, “is this Chinese Burger King?” Well, that’s because it does kind of look like it right? However, no, they don’t sell this in Chinese Burger King, but I do serve it in my kitchen.
The idea of using a pineapple bun instead of using the original Portuguese buns all came from when I went to this cha chaan teng in Macau, and they served their pork chop buns in a pineapple bun.
It was my first time trying this variation and I was blown away. The saltiness from the perfectly pan fried pork chops blended so well with the slightly sweet pineapple buns. After that, I couldn’t go back – I would choose having pork chops in a pineapple bun over the regular Portuguese buns.
I made my own pineapple buns (just because I’m little miss extra and like making stuff from scratch), but of course, you can always use store bought pineapple buns too.
Caramelized onions are a staple topping for this bun. Some places in Macau use raw onions, while some don’t add onions at all. I find that caramelized onions makes the bun have more flavour, and it also makes it look more presentable.
For the pork chops, I suggest getting boneless pork chops or pork loin.
Remember to marinate the pork chops for at least 4 hours, or overnight for more flavour. Now I know it may be hard to find Chinese rose wine and you may be wondering if you could skip it. I know, I get it, not everywhere has it. However, I promise you, if you are able to get your hands on it, USE IT. It makes the marinade and the pork chops so fragrant and elevates the taste. You can also use it for many other Chinese dishes. I get my Chinese rose wine from any Chinese grocery store.
If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Macau Style Pork Chop Pineapple Bun
Ingredients
Marinade
- 4 boneless pork chops or pork loin
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tbsp rice wine
- ½ tbsp Chinese rose wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Caramelized Onions
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion (sliced thinly)
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Assembling
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)
- 4 marinated pork chops (from above)
- 2 pineapple buns (halved)
- Kewpie mayo
- Kale
- 2 slices American cheese
- Pepper salt powder
Instructions
Marinade
- Tenderize the pork chops by pounding them to a thickness of 1/4-1/2 inch.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and add in the pork chops. Mix, and marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight for more flavour.
Caramelized Onions
- In a large skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat with heated oil, add in the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add in water to get rid of the brown bits stuck on the bottom.
- Once the water has mostly evaporated, add in the rest of the ingredients and keep on stirring every few minutes, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Set aside.
Assembling
- Take the pork chops out of the fridge to room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat with heated oil, pan fry the pork chops (2 minutes on each side, or until it’s golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 150°F). Keep pressing the pork chops down to prevent it from curling up when cooking.
- Sprinkle on pepper salt powder on each pork chop.
- Spread Kewpie mayo on each half of the pineapple bun.
- Assemble the bun in this order: bottom bun, kale, 1 pork chop, American cheese, caramelized onions, 1 pork chop, and cover with the top half of the bun. Repeat for the rest. Serve and enjoy!
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